Braiding-machine.



No. 695,601. `Pawnted Mar. la, |902. A. B. |J|s.s.

BBAIDING MAGHINE.` (Application led Apr.'8, 1901.) l l("0 Model-2 3 Sheets-Sheet l.

1N: mams Parras ca, vNoTuLITHo, wAsHlNcfoN. q. c.

l Patented Mar. I8,l |902. A. B. DISS. BRAIDING MACHINE.

(Appl catxon med Ap: 8 1901) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No-Model.)

No. 695,6m. Patented Mar. la, |902..

A. mss. a BBAIDING MACHINE.

(Application Bled Apr. 8, 1901.)

' 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

(no Model.)

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

YoEK,Ass1eNoE To Tun UNITED oF NEWARK,

NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

BRAIDING-lVl-ACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 695,601, dated March 18, 1902.

Application filed April 8, 1901. Serial No. 54,796. (No model.) n

T0 ctZZ whom it may concern: Y

Be it known that I, ALBERT B. Diss, a citizen of the United States, residing at the borough of Brooklyn, in the city and State of New York, have invented an Improvement in Braiding-Machines, of which the following-is a specification.

Heretofore it has been usual to construct braiding-machines with heads upon a suitable support connected by gears to revolve in opposite directions. In these machines spindles carrying the bobbins of thread were made with exchange devices, and transfer devices were employed connected to the revolving heads and enga-ging the exchange-plates of said spindles, so as to change the path of movement of the spindles and cause lthe same to travel from one revolving head to the next in order.

My present invention relates to this class of machines; and the object thereof is to simplify the mechanism, to lessen the cost of construction of said machines, and to increase the eectiveness of the same.

` My invention embraces devices for positively holding, releasing, and transferring the exchange-plates `and spool-spindles and devices for periodically and progressively supplying thread, applying tension thereto, and holding the thread-spool. These devices are adapted for use in braiding-machines making tubular or flat braid.

The devices constituting my invention are hereinafter more particularly described.

In the drawings, Figdre 1 is avertical section through two of the revolving heads and connected parts and an elevation of the spoolspindle, the bobbin of thread, and the threadtension devices connected therewith. Fig. 2 is a plan of the two revolving heads and a section of several spool-spindles in their progressive positions. Fig. 3 is a section at 0c @c of Fig. l through the two revolving heads, together with a plan of the exchange-plates and switches. Fig. 4 is a vertical section and partial elevation at the line y y of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a plan of one of the exchange-plates and sectionof a spool-spindle. Fig. 6 is an elevation ofthe parts shown in Fig 5. Figs. 7 and 8 areclevations of the bobbin of thread and the thread-tension devices at rightangles to one another and in the other positions of the said parts in Fig. l. Fig. 9 is a Sectional plan at ce' az' of Fig. 7, and` Fig. l0 is av sectional plan at .e .e of Fig. 7, and Fig. 11 is a sectional plan at x2 m2 of Fig. l abovethe upper exchange-plate, illustrating the parts and their relative positions in locking an exchange-plate to a revolving head. A

Devices for positively hold/ing, releasing,

and transferring the exchange-plates and spool-spndles.-The platform o. serves as a support for the various revolving heads of the machine. This platform may be of any desired construction, but would probably be in the form of a ring, as these headsfare usually placed in a circularseries, so that the movements of the spool-spindles, thread-bobbin's, and tension devices are continuous in a serpeutinecircular path. Pivot-posts b are secured in the platform o. and constitute fixed centers about which the revolving heads c rotate.

In my presentinvention each of the revolving heads is composed of a sleeve 2, a sleeve 3 above the sleeve 2, a disk 4: between the sleeves 2 and 3, and a disk 5 above the sleeve 3, and I prefer to employ pins 6, passing through holes in the disks et and 5, and sleeves 2 and 3 at opposite points of the center of the sleeve, said disks being riveted up at the ends to securely connect said parts together as one, and I prefer to employ lugs 7 upon the respective ends of the sleeve Sat spaced -apart intervals. there are four of these lugs at equidistant points, and these form bearings beyond the Fig. 3 shows that.

periphery of the sleeve for the disks 4 and 5,

employing less metal for the purpose than there would be in iianges upon the ends of the sleeve 3 and serving equally well, the lugs being made integral with the sleeve.

Each of the disks 4 and 5 is shown as a lsingle plate of metal; but they may be stamped vsuitable power-gear to rotate the revolving ICG heads in opposite directions. I employ above the revolving heads and secured by a screw to the upper ends of the pivot-posts ZJ stationary cam-disks e. These are preferably formed from a plate of metal, in which the pairs of cam-faces S and 9 are cut and pressed to shape in the stamping up of the disk. These cam-faces are of curved form and concentric with one another and occupy positions on the disk e at opposite point-s of the center.

Upon the upper surface of the disk 4 and under surface of the disk 5 and at equallyspaced-apart positions I employ rollers 10 11, there being four of the rollers 10 upon the disk 4 and four of the rollers 11 upon the disk 5, directly above the rollers 10, and the edges of the disks 4 and 5 are provided with semicircular notches adjacent to the rollers and upon radial lines from the center of the pivotposts passing through said rollers. These notches receive the spool-spindles h, the same being held vertical in said notches by the eX- change-plates 7c if, connected therewith, and

'the locking-pins f and stop-pins g, placed ver- .tically in openings in the disks4 and 5 of the revolving heads. These locking-pins f and stop-pins g are bent over at their upper ends into the form of hooks, the stop-pins having a larger hook end than the lockingpins, Figs. 1 and 4 showing said locking and stop pins clearly in elevation, while Figs. 2 and 3 show the plan and sectional positions of said parts.

The stems of the locking-pinsfand stop-pins g pass through both disks 4 and 5, and the locking-pins f are moved vertically by the switches Z, while the stop-pins g are moved vertically by the exchange-plate k. Each of these exchange-plates Zt t is provided with two pins 12, projecting downward from the under surface of the lower exchange-plate and upward from the upper surface of the -upper exchange-plate, and the upper exchange plate, in contradistnction to the lower exchange-plate, is provided with cam edges 13 and notches 14 in the back. The switches Z are made similar to those heretofore employed by me. They are pivotally supported upon the platform a and occupy a `position above the gears cZ and between the parts of the revolving heads, the same being placedinalternateoppositedirections. Each of these switches is provided with cam-faces l5, with converging cams 16, and with a central elliptical cam projection 17. l'n the position of these parts Fig. 1 a spool-spindle 7L and its exchange-plates 7o Z are about being transferred from one revolving head to the next, and by reference to Figs. l, 2, and 3 it will be noticed that the direction of transfer is from the left-hand head to the right-hand head in the direction of movement. The parts are at all times so placed that when the spoolspindle Zz is in the edge notches of the disks 4 5 and occupies a vertical position the roll ers 10 and 11 come between the pins l2 of the exchange-plates and the spool-spindle, so as to hold the spool-spindle against the disks. This condition is apparent from Figs. 1, 2, 3. It will be noticed from Fig. 1 that one of the locking-pins f to the left of the spool-spindle has been raised by one of the cams 16 of the switch Z, so that the lower end of this locking-pin rests upon the top of the switch and the free end of its hook has been raised clear of the pin 12, while by reference to the right hand of the spool-spindle ZL it will be noticed that the locking-pin f hangs free and supported by the disk 5 and that the free end of its hook is forward of the pin 12 of the upper exchange-plate. This position is shown also in Figs. 2 and 4, and from which latter iigures it will also be apparent that the stop-pin g at the free end of its hook portion comes into one of the notches 14 behind the upper exchange-plate. Consequently while the rollers 10 1l hold the exchange-plates and the spool-spindle against the disks of the righthand head the locking-pinf preventsaswinging movement in one direction and the stoppin g a swinging movement in the opposite direction, and as the heads turn from the position Figs. 2 and 3 the exchangefplates and spool-spindles are free to come away from the left-hand head and continue their movement connected to the right-hand head. The vertical movenent imparted to the stop-pins gis eected by the cam edges 13 of the upper exchange-plate underrunning the point of the hook portion of said stop-pins and raising the stop-pins onto the upper surface of the said exchange-plate, and with the forward movement Iof the exchange-plate as carried by the adjacent head the hook point of said stop-pin will pass over thesurface of the exchange-plate and drop behind in one of the notches 14.

As the exchange-plate and spool-spindle just described pass half-way around the said revolving head the locking-pin f, holding forward of the pin 12, will be raised by the switch, and the locking-pin on the next adjacent revolving head will then come forward of the opposite pin 12, and the stop-pin g will be operated on the opposite side of the exchange-plate, passing over the same, as hereinbefore described, and droppinginto the other notch 14 to hold the exchange-plate to the next head.

The cam-faces 8 9 of the stationary cam-disk e provide for the vertical movements of the locking-pins and stop-pins as operated upon by the switches Zand the cam edges 13 of the exchange-plate 7c, the said cam-faces serving the further function of forcing downward into their operative positions the locking-pins f and stop-pins g with. the movement of the revolving heads in case their movement 'is arrested and they do not fall by gravity as promptly as they should. The switches Zand the operation of the same do not require further description in the present application, as these switches are constructed and oper# ate the same as those heretofore employed by IOS) IIO

IZO

me in similar machines and shown and described in my application for Letters Patent, Serial No. 37,576, filed November 24, 1900. I prefer to employ the rollers 10 and l1 upon the disks 4 and 5 rather than to employ pins or studs in the same position as the rollers, which are really annuli mounted on studs having an antifriction function which facilitatesthe easy and quick running of the parts of the machine as they come into connection and separate from one another. 'e

Devices for periodically and progressively supplying thread, applying tension thereto, and holding the threa.clspool.-The upper end of the spool-spindle is made hollow or tubu lar to receive the lower endof an auxiliary spindle o, and the thread-bobbin ft is mounted upon this auxiliary spindle. The upper end of this spindle is provided with an eye' for the passage of the thread from the tension devices to the Workbeing accomplished. Around the upper'end of the spool-spindle h I place a sleeve r, having oppositely-extend ing arms 26, and said sleeve is fastened to the spool-spindle by a set-screvr,"so that the thread-bobbin rests substantially simultaneously upon the said sleeve and end ofthe bobbin e' is a toothed disklS, andI employ a' base-plate m, surrounding and secured to the auxiliary spindle and free from the toothed disk 18 and provided withVv lugs '19 20,:whi`chvy The lug 2O is made form parts of a hinge. long in a horizontal direction, and a pawlplate 2l is pivoted toits free end. This pawlplate is shown clearly in Figs. 7 and 9,' in whichy it Will be noticed that the right-hand end of' the paWl-plate is bent at approximately right angles to the lmain portion andthat the lefthand end is bent at an acute'angle and coI1-, Y tinued downward, so thatits freeend engages.,

one notch at a time of the disk 1S,`and I employ a spring 22,fas'tened at one endto the pawl-plate 2l and at its'free end resting upon the upper surface of the base-plate m,'the function of the spring 22 being to cause the left-hand end of the pawl-plate to bear forcibly downward to insure the v engagement of the said end of the pawl-plate with the notches of the disk IS-that is, with one'notch ata time successively for every playingout of the thread. The base-plate mat the edge oppo! and their shafts I prefer to double the edge of the base-plate m, so as to form two thicknesses spaced apart, and the shortsh'afts oi 'oradvantageous the'tailpiece of the plate ln. and extends down to an adjusting-screw 29, passing through one of the arms 26 of the sleeve r, the tendency of said spring being to draw down the plate h at`the tailpiece and to raise the end having the tension-rollers. Figs. 7 and 8 show theV manner of passing the thread over the tension-rollers-that is to say, the thread passes from the thread-bobbin under the hook end of the wire 28 vertically to the first roller of the plate h, over the same down to the first roller of the plateV m, up to the second roller of the plate n, down and beneath Athe second i roller dt' the plate m, and up throughthe eye of the auxiliary spindle o and away. In-the operationof this tension device and with the movement of thespool-spindle and the threadbobbins around the .revolving heads the thread is gradually Worked into the braidingmachine, and the pairs of rollers of the plates m and .n gradually approach one another, and before they comeinto actual contact-the plate n strikes the inturned right-handJend of thepawl-plate 21, forcing the same down and raising its opposite end out of a notch of the toothed disk.' The tension on the thread at this period is so great that the moment the threadbobbin is thus released the thread isv paid out quickly andthe spring 27 -as vthe lthread is lpaid out kraises the plate n, elevating the tension-rollers 25 connected therewith vto theirV highest point, taking up the rool Slack thread. As the platen rises the spring f 22 quickly returns the pawl-plate 21.-tov its normal position, its end engaging withthe nearest notch of the toothed. disk, sofas to stop the thread-bobbin and reestablish the normal relation between the same andthe base-plate m. This movement is repeatedV each time the thread .is used up to such an extent that the parts of tension-rollers come almost together. Each of these tension-rollers has aV or concave periphery to receive the thread passing aroundthe various rollers,

and by the employment of two rollers on each plate aneven degree of tension is assured.

that would not exist Were,onlytwo rollers em-` ployed. More than two rollers to each plate mightl be employed without changing-the nature of thelinvention, but the movement of the parts would thereby not be so desirable The hook-endedwire28 of the collar s passes through one of the arms 2G, said arm forming a guide therefor. These parts are the same and operate like similar parts heretofore employed by me, as shown and described in my application for Letters Patent Serial No. 37,576, filed November 24, 1900-that is to say, when the thread breaks the collar s falls, so that other parts in such machines may contact with said collar for the purpose of stopping the mechanism.

I do not herein limit myself to the number of rollers lO 1l or to the number of lockingpins or stop-pins and coacting parts employed upon and with each revolving head, for while I have shown and prefer these parts arranged in four groups on each head a less or greater number may be employed without departing from my invention.

I claim as my inventionl. In a braiding-machine, the combination with a platform, revolving heads supported upon said platform and gears for actuating the same in opposite directions, of spool-spindles and exchange-plates connected therewith, switches pivoted in opposite directions upon said platform, locking-pins moving vertically in the revolving heads and raised by the switches and permitted to drop by gravity, stop-pins independent ofthe locking-pins and raised by the exchange-plates and permitted to fall by gravity, and devices connected respectively to parts of the head and to the exchange-plates and which parts are adapted to come into engagement and to cooperate with the locking and stop pins for engagingand holding the exchange-plates and spool-spindles to the revolving heads, substantially as set forth. Y

2. In a braiding-machine, the combination with a platform, revolving heads supported upon said platform and gears for actuating the same in opposite directions, of spool-spindles and exchange-plates connected therewith, switches pivoted in opposite directions upon said platform, locking-pins moving vertically in the revolving heads and raised by the switches and permitted to drop by gravity, stop-pins independent of the locking-pins and raised by the exchange-plates and permitted to fall by gravity, pins upon the exchange-plates and rollers upon the revolving heads adapted to come into engagement and opposition whereby the exchange-plates are held to the revolving heads, the locking-pins and stop-pins holding the exchange-plates s`o as to prevent a swinging movement of the same and the spool-spindles, substantially as set forth. i

3. In a braiding-machine, the combination with a platform, revolving heads supported upon said platform and gears for actuating the same in opposite directions, of spool-spindles and exchange-plates connected therewith, switches pivoted in opposite directions upon said platform, locking-pins moving vertically in the revolving heads and raised by the switches and permitted to drop by gravity, stop-pi ns independent of the locking-pins and raised by the exchange-plates and permitted to fall by gravity, and devices connected respectively to parts of the head and to the exchange-plates and which parts are adapted to come into engagement and to cooperate with the locking and stop pins for engaging and holding the exchange-plates and spool-spindles to the revolving heads, and stationary cam-disks above the revolving heads and adapted to permit the vertical movements of the locking and stop pins and to force the same downward if they do not quickly fall by gravity, substantially as set forth.

4. In a braiding-machine, the combination with a platform and pivot-posts mounted thereon, of revolving heads each comprising a lower and upper sleeve and intermediate disk and a disk above the upper sleeve and pins passing through the sleeves and disks and riveted up for securely connecting the respective parts and a gear surrounding the lower sleeve and by which the head is revolved, substantially as set forth.

5. In a braiding-machine, the combination with a platform and pivot-posts mounted thereon, of revolving heads each comprising a lower and upper sleeve an intermediate disk and a disk above the upper sleeve and pins passing through the sleeves and disks and riveted up for securely connecting the respective parts and a gear surrounding the lower sleeve and by which thehead is revolved, and lugs at spaced-apart intervals projecting from the respective ends of the upper sleeve and coming above the lower disk and below the upper disk to insure the parallelism of the respect-ive disks, substantially as set forth.

G. In a braiding-machine, the combination with a platform and pivot-posts mounted thereon, of revolving heads each comprising a lower and upper sleeve an intermediate disk and a disk above the upper sleeve, and pins passing through the sleeves and disks and riveted up for securely connecting the respective parts, anda gear surrounding the lower sleeve and by which the head is revolved, and means for insuring the parallelism of the respective disks, locking-pins and stop-pins having stems passing vertically through both disks and guided thereby and hook ends passing through the upper disk, said locking and stop pins being at spacedapart intervals around the head and rollers upon the upper surface of the lower disk and u nder surface of the upper disk also at spaced-apart intervals, substantially as set forth.

7. In a braiding-machine the combination with a platform and pivot-posts mounted thereon, of revolving heads each comprising a lower and upper sleeve, an intermediate disk and a disk above the upper sleeve, and pins passing through the sleeves and disks and riveted up for securely connecting the respective parts, and a gear surrounding the lower sleeve and by which the head is rc- IIO under surface of the upper disk also at spaced-- apart intervals, and a stationary-cam-disk above and secured to the upper end of the pivot-post and having cam-faces that are concentric and formed by bendingup portions of the disk to permit of the vertical movements of the locking and stop pins and to force the same down when they do not fall quickly by gravity, substantially as set forth.

8. In a braiding-machine, the combination with a platform, pivot-posts mounted thereon, revolving heads upon saidpivot-posts and gears for operating the same, of spool-spindles adapted to be received in peripheral vertically-placed notches in the surfaces of the revolving head, exchange-plates two in number connected to each spool-spindle and de-v vices connected to the exchange-plates and other devices connected to the revolving heads adapted to come into connection to hold each Ispool-spindle at its exchange-plates to a reperiodically raising the locking and stop forth.

pins for permitting the progressive movements of the machine, substantially as set 9. In a braiding-machine, the combination with a platform, pivot-posts mounted thereon, revolving heads upon said pivot-posts and gears for operating the same, of spool-spindles adapted to be received in peripheral vertically-placed notches in thesurface of the revolving head, exchange-plates two in number connected to each spool-spindle, pins con' nected to the lowermost exchange-plate and extending downward, similar pins connected tothe upper exchange-plate and extending upward, cam edges on opposite sides of the upper exchange-plate and notches in the back edges of the upper exchange-plate; devices connected to the heads and adapted to engage the pins of the exchange-plates and to come betweenthe said pins and the spoolspindle, locking-pins adapted progressively to come in front of the pins ofthe upper exchange-plate and stop-pins adapted to come progressively into the notches in the back edges of the upper exchange-plate, sothat theexchange-plates and spool-spindles are not only held to the revolving heads, but pre vented from turning and becoming disengaged in their relation thereto, substantially as setforth.

10. In a braidin g-machine,r the combination Y with a platform and pivot-postsmounted thereon, of revolving heads upon said pivot-` posts comprising connected portions and up-` per and lower disks and rollers upon-the upper surface of the lowervdisk and under surface of the upper disk at spacedapart interrollers and spool-spindles adapted to be received in said notches, two exchange-plates mounted upon each spool-spindle and coming between the upper and lower disks of the revolving heads, and means connected to said exchange-plates and engaged by said rollers, and locking-pins moving vertically in said heads and adapted to engage said means and stop-pins also moving vertically in said revolving heads and adapted to engage the eX- change-plates, substantially as set forth.

11. In a braiding-machine, the combination with a platform and pivot posts mounted thereon, of revolving heads upon said pivotposts comprising connected portions and upper and lower disks and'rollers upon the upper surface of the lower disk and under surface of the upper disk at spaced-apart intervals and peripheral notches adjacent to said vrollers and spool-spindles adapted to be received in said notches, two exchangefplates mounted upon each spool-spindle and coming between the upper and lower disks of the recil .vals and peripheral notches adjacent to said volving heads, pins secured in said exchangee plates and extending in opposite directions toward the said disks and adapted to come into engagement with the said rollers, locking-pins moving verticallyin said revolving heads and progressively cominginto a for-- wardposition against said pins, switches for periodically and progressively raising the said locking-pins, stop-pins moving vertically in said revolving heads, cam edges onone of said exchange-plates adapted to raise-the stoppins progressively and pass the same over the eXchan'ge-plate'and permit the same to` fall behind the exchange-plate wherebythe stoppins coact with the locking-pins to prevent a IIO swinging-movement of the exchange-plates and insure their being held in position bythe pins and rollers, substantially as set forth.

Signed by me this 29th day of March, 1901-. ALBERT B.'v DISS; Witnesses Y Guo. T. PINCKNEY, S. -T.'HAVILAN'D.' 

